Hi everyone, I thought that I would throw myself to the lions as it were. I spent many summers on Stonedam from the mid 1960s through the '80s. I love the island it is a part of who I am. Sadly what has happened on the lake as of late is disconcerting to say the least. We no longer feel safe on Stonedam and we have suffered a great deal of vandalism over the years.

We never had armed guards on Stonedam. Gary may have had the misfortune of running into me at some point. No one else ever patrolled the island. After 1978 only three people had the right to grant permission to vist the private part of the island, which, until 1980, was all of it, they were myself, my sister and my father.

There was one person, whose name I have forgotten who kept insisting that my uncle, Lyman Rice, had given him permission to visit. When asked, Lyman said "Oh, That A****". Lyman, for the record, never had an ownership interest anyway.

I would never have given permission to someone I did not know.

In any event the concept of private property has seemed to have lost its meaning as of late and as we really are not wealthy people it is time to get out with our memories intact. It is my sincere hope that whoever purchases the Rice portion of Stonedam will have the time and resources to enjoy the Island as my family has for 70 plus years.http://winnipesaukee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=107003&postcount=19

So, towards the property owner, it's not just the rudeness of noise, the odor of exhaust, and the scofflaws of New Hampshire law.

Well, I can appreciate the guy's story. We had a small island on the lake and every time we went there there were beer cans, soda cans, and all kinds of other trash including underwear that we had to pick up. Once we even went there and the people said they had permission from the "owners" to go there. WE had no idea who they were. I guess they thought we were just visiting too. And she continued to tie up her boat. I finally had to ask her to leave, telling her that we were the owners. One time our neighbors from another island called and said if we didn't do something "visitors" were going to burn it down. Most of the time when we went out there somebody was using it. Anyway, we got so tired of picking up trash every time we went out there and dealing with it all that we sold it. It is amazing how people just help themselves to others' property.

Well said WHL, we have had all kinds of things disappear and we are on a larger island with people typically around. A small island looks great when going by but I can see how that could lead to issues.

APSound wrote:Still not sure how that post was twisted into a boat noise debate

The times, they are achangin'.

There's NO "Greatest Generation" left.

More, by an island neighbor of Stonedam Island:

Sadly, my parents decided to sell the place, which we always thought would be there. As you can see, your island has impacted many boaters for decades, and in a positive way. Sorry you had to put up with so much just to have some privacy for yourselves.

So it's not just privacy and wanting to be positive—it's being rude and being a member of the ME! ME! ME! Generation, without a care for others.

I know the Rice family and they typically use the house on the north side. I'd call the police and marine patrol and report the trespassing. The disrespectful public has destroyed this place for the Rice's. I've kicked a lot of people off their beach.